Hook, Line, and Sinker
by Owl
Summary: A love interest for Zack is found. But who is she? Zack and Max find they know as little about Alex as she knows about them. AU (Bad summary, I know, but the fic's good, I think. :-) And in the first two chapters, the spacing was off, but I'm fixing it in
1. Default Chapter

Title: Hook, Line, and Sinker

Author: Owl

E-mail: [Owlthepsychica@aol.com][1]

Archive: Yes, please.

Rating: PG-13, mostly for language

Summary: A love interest for Zack is found. But who is she? Zack and Max find they know as little about Alex as she knows about them. **AU**

Spoilers: "411 on the DL" and "Cold Comfort" especially, but any eps with Zack.

Feedback: I like it, I love it, I need more of it!

Disclaimer: Alex is my character, but everything else associated with Dark Angel belongs to Fox. I'm pretty sure, at least. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Notes: Thanks, Anna! And Pooh Bah!

Hook, Line, and Sinker

by Owl

"So, when are you gonna hook up?" Max asked Alex.

Alex sighed. They had discussed this for quite a while and she wished that they would talk about something other than her love life. Or lack thereof. She was the polar opposite of flirtatious, preferring not to bother with the male gender unless absolutely necessary. Her thick dark hair fell past her shoulders while her dangerous green eyes challenged even Max's testiness.

"Or," Original Cindy offered, "when are you gonna swing to the all-girl scene?"

"Original Cindy, we've been over this. I. Am. Not. Nor will I ever be. Gay," Alex explained, slowly, for her friend's benefit.

"A'ight. Just tryin'," Original Cindy responded nonchalantly. "Original Cindy knows when to take a hint."

"If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Before Cindy could answer, they heard a strange sound: the sound of someone walking their bike through the front door. After Normal told them that they couldn't ride their bikes inside, they'd been doing it ever since. Alex glanced at the door, wondering who the offender was. No one she knew, obviously. They wouldn't be caught dead doing something Normal told them to do.

It was a new guy, some rookie Normal hired, probably just 'cuz he called him "sir" or something. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, nothing remarkable. He smiled at her, kind of hesitant and uncertain, like a little boy. Which normally would have appealed to her maternal side, but it was that time of the month, so now she was just bothered by it. She didn't know how to respond anyhow, so she just turned back to her friends, who were looking at her with dismayed looks on their faces.

"This is why you never go out," Max informed her.

"What?" Alex asked defensively.

Max just shook her head while Cindy explained, "Girl, even Original Cindy knows that when a boy smiles at you, you's s'posed to smile back."

"Yeah, whatever."

She went over to unlock her bike, not understanding her friends' attitudes. They were just guys; what was the big deal?

"Excuse me," said a male voice behind her. Ten to one it was the rookie.

She turned around. Score one for Alex. "Yeah?"

"Do you know where," he paused to check the address, "Spring Street is?"

"The end of Bolyston and Madison," Alex answered, turning back to her bike.

He started to say something else, but Normal's screeching cut him off. "Hot run, 125 Madison!" He tossed the package to Alex, who turned around and caught it without flinching, dropping it in her bag.

She glanced at the rookie, then said, "Since I seem to be going your way, I'll show you where it is." She watched as he tried to hold onto his bike and the package at the same time. Finally she shook her head and held out her bag. "Give me your package. That's why we carry bags. I'll haul it for you this time, but next time you're on your own."

He stared at her, but obeyed, saying, "I can carry it."

"Ha. No." She was so not going to take any macho shit right now. She put the package inside her bag and slid the strap over her head.

"Let's go."

Outside, he tried to introduce himself. "Um, I'm Sam."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."

"Do you have a name or should I just call you Girl Without a Name?" he asked, smiling.

"You can call me Brunhilda if it'll get these packages delivered faster."

He was silent after that, for which Alex was grateful. She didn't feel like talking right now, in case it wasn't obvious. Ten minutes later, they reached Alex's destination, 125 Madison Street. She checked the address just to make sure, then walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

A guy, obviously hired muscle judging by the shades, unnecessary in the dim lighting, and the Firestar 9 mm he had pointed at her. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Jam Pony messenger. Package for Mr. Ribiero. Sign here, please." She could be professional about this.

He looked at the package and clipboard she had in her hand, then back at her. "Maybe you'd better come inside." It wasn't a request.

"Leave her alone."

Oh, great. The last thing she needed was the rookie to get them both killed.

"Go back to the bikes."

"No." Shit, now was a really bad time to get obstinate.

"I can take care of myself. Get back to the bikes. This is a rough neighborhood." Boy, was that an understatement. "Wouldn't want them to get stolen or anything."

She felt him hesitate, then retreat down the steps. Good. One less thing to worry about. She addressed the muscle. "Sign here."

"Maybe you'd better come inside." It still wasn't a request.

"Maybe you'd better ask a little nicer." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

He pointed the gun at her head and released the safety. "How's that for nicer?"

"Great, bodyguard humor." In a flash, she spun around, dropping both package and clipboard, twisting his arm behind her, making him let go of the gun, grunting in pain.

She aimed the gun at him, taking a two-handed stance, and shoved the package and clipboard at him with her foot. "Like I said, sign here."

He did so, shaking visibly, then handed the clipboard back to her very cautiously. She took it back, not taking her eyes or the gun off him. She discharged the magazine, steadying the gun against her ribs, and stuffed it down her pants, then dropped the gun in the trash. "Those are very dangerous." As she walked away, she stopped, then turned around and said, "Oh yeah; thanks for using Jam Pony."

The rookie, Sam, didn't say anything as she walked back and kicked up the kickstand on her bike. Finally, as she mounted her bike, he asked, "Where did you learn that?"

"School," she answered shortly. Which was true.

He laughed, albeit nervously. "What kind of school did you go to?"

"You don't want to know."

As they rode, he asked, "Well, how about your name then?" When she didn't say anything, he continued, "I'll guess then. Does it end with 'x'?"

Alex stopped, then nodded, hiding her surprise. After all, it's not like a lot of names end with 'x.'

"Max?" he guessed.

Alex shook her head. Was it a coincidence one of her closest friends was named Max? She brushed her suspicion aside. Growing up with a dad in the FBI had gotten her paranoid. "It's Alex."

"Alexandra?"

She shook her head. "Alexia. Not that it's any of your business," she added.

He just smiled charmingly at her. Half of her started to melt, but her pragmatic half just snorted and said, "Yeah, whatever."

After they delivered the other package, Alex stopped at a small coffee shop.

"Where are we going?" Sam wanted to know.

"_We_ are not going anywhere. _I_ am going to the bathroom. It's very uncomfortable to ride a bike with a clip down your pants."

She walked inside, leaving him, once again, more than slightly startled and with no one but the bikes for company. When she came back out, she was holding two steaming cups of coffee. She handed one to Sam, who took it carefully. "Thanks," he said, surprised at the unexpected change in character.

She shrugged, taking a sip. She closed her eyes as the warmth flooded her body. Who needed heat in their apartment when they had coffee? Well, that's what she was telling herself anyway. She opened her eyes as she heard metal clanking against metal. Some kid was trying to steal her bike.

With a sigh, she handed her coffee to Sam. "Hold this for a sec. Hey!" she yelled at the kid. She ran over as the kid tried to ride away. "Get off the bike. Now." She grabbed his ear and pulled him off the bike. "Next time be careful who you steal from, got it?" The kid nodded, whimpering. She sent him on his way with a smack upside his head, shaking her head. "Kids these days."

She walked back to Sam and took her coffee back. "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. You know, you weren't kidding when you said you could take of yourself."

She looked at him. "I know." She decided to try and make conversation. "So how long have you been in Seattle?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, a shade too quickly.

"I mean, how long have you been in Seattle? You obviously haven't been here too long 'cuz you don't know where anything is."

He visibly relaxed. Alex wondered what he was trying to hide. "I've been here a couple of weeks."

"Why did you come?"

"A friend of mine lives here," he answered. "Done interrogating?"

Alex blushed and looked down. "Sorry," she muttered. "I was just trying to make conversation."

Sam grinned. "It's okay. Can I ask a few questions?"

Alex shrugged. "Sure."

"What are you doing tonight?"

She looked at him in shock. Surely he wasn't asking her on a date!

"Nothing," she answered slowly.

"How about I take you out for Chinese then?"

She considered his offer, then smiled. "Sure. I love Chinese food."

"Great." He smiled at her, then confided, "The first thing I learned when I came here was where to get good takeout."

She laughed. "You're kidding."

He shook his head. "I'm serious."

"Well, I'd love to," she told him. She looked at her watch. "If we hurry, we can make three more runs before lunch. And I do _not_ get paid enough to have guns pointed at me."

Alex breezed into the bar and ran up the stairs to where her friends were sitting. "Hi," she said with a big smile on her face.

Max looked at her. "You didn't."

"No, I didn't. He did."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"With who? The new kid?" Original Cindy asked, joining them.

Alex nodded.

Sketchy looked at Cindy incredulously. "You just got here and you know what they're talking about? I've been here the whole time and I have no clue what they're talking about."

"That's because you ain't got the skills," Original Cindy explained.

"Oh." 

"So where's he taking you?" Max asked Alex.

"Out for Chinese," Alex answered with a smile, twisting her hair into a ponytail.

"Wait, wait," Sketchy interrupted. "You're going on a date?"

Max and Alex exchanged looks. It was Alex who said it first.

"Sketchy, you're an idiot."

Alex rummaged through her tiny closet, looking for something to wear. Heels were out of the question; she refused to dress up to go out for Chinese food. Just wasn't gonna happen. She pulled out a black article of clothing. Turning it around, she tried to figure out if it was a tube top or a skirt. Oh well, she wasn't wearing it anyway.

She tossed it on the bed and kept looking. The next thing she pulled out was a crimson off-the-shoulder top with long sleeves.

_This could work_.

Matched with a comfy pair of jeans, it looked pretty good. Now she had to do something with her hair. She sighed. Dates were such a pain in the ass. Not that she wasn't looking forward to it, but still. She pulled her hair back into a loose bun, brushing a few loose strands away from her face. As a rule, she didn't bother with makeup. She felt that if you weren't comfortable with the way you looked, a few tubes of face cake were not going to help you.

But there are always exceptions to the rule. She opened her medicine cabinet. Among the various pills and other junk she kept up there was a single tube of lipstick. The color was called "Scarlet O'Hara." Blood red was more like it. But she put it on anyway.

She found her large gold hoops that she hadn't worn for like, ever, and put them on, looking at her watch. If she ran down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, she would just make it. So she did, pausing at the bottom to catch her breath. 'Come on, Alex, he's just a guy,' she told herself. Well, he was. She brushed her hair out of her face one last time and pushed open the door to the lobby.

There he was, leaning against the wall and looking really good. She bit her lip and instantly regretted it, just knowing that she got lipstick on her teeth. Man, this was not going to work. She should turn around and go right back upstairs. Or at least take the lipstick off. But it was too late. She ran her tongue over her teeth and walked over. "Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hey," he replied with a smile. "Wow. You look amazing."

Alex blushed and looked down. "Thanks."

Her usual reply would have been 'I know,' but she wasn't thinking straight.

He reached out to brush a stray lock of hair away from her face. Alex froze. Behind them, an old man coughed, as if to say 'Get a room!' and the spell was broken.

"Come on, let's get outta here," she said with a smile.

The restaurant Sam took her to was small but clean. They were seated at a table near the window. Alex, after they gave the waiters their orders, gazed out the window, watching the rain fall in sheets. Sam, following her gaze, commented, "You know, if there's one thing I love about Seattle, it's the weather."

"I know, it's great. Rain every day and twice on Sunday," replied Alex dryly. She looked at him. "How long are you staying in Seattle?"

He smiled at her. "As long as I can."

She smiled back, then looked out the window again. She wasn't good at making small talk. Never had been, never would be. Still, she was determined to try. "So, um, where are you from?"

"All over. You?"

She shrugged. "I was born in Wyoming, but I lived away from home until I was 18, then I came to Seattle."

"Where'd you live until you were 18?" Sam inquired. While he seemed to have a problem talking about himself, he certainly didn't have any problem talking about her. Now, while other girls might have enjoyed the fact that the guy they're dating wants to know more about them, Alex found it singularly odd and uncomfortable. Oh well. It was her problem, not his. She'd worry about it later.

"At school."

"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that," he said. "What kind of school did you go to, anyway?"

"Military school."

"Military school," he repeated.

Alex nodded. It irritated her when he started to smile.

_What, does he think I'm _joking_?_

"I'm serious."

"I know," he assured her. "I just thought it was funny because I went to military school too. Well, sort of."

_Okay, now we're getting somewhere_.

"Sort of?"

He nodded, then changed the subject. "So, why did you come to Seattle?"

_Okay, now we're not_.

She left it alone for the time being. "Well, after I finished school, in California, I was going home, and I was halfway there when I realized that I didn't have a reason to go back. So I didn't. And that left me in Seattle."

"What about your dad?" Sam asked.

Alex shrugged. "He got over it, I'm sure. He sure as hell didn't care when I was there, so why would he care if I was gone?" Her tone was careless, but it had a bitter edge to it. "So," she said, changing the subject, "what about you? I feel selfish talking about myself. Tell me something about you."

"Well, there's really nothing to tell…"

"No," Alex corrected. "There's always something to tell. It's just a matter of whether you want to tell it or not. And I'm guessing you don't. Which, normally, would be fine, but," she explained with mock seriousness, "that totally limits our dinner conversation."

"Oh, does it?" he asked with a half-smile, leaning on the table.

"Yes, it does," she returned, mirroring his movements. To his look, she simply raised her eyebrows and smirked.

He leaned forward a little further, just to see what she would do. She copied him, and then they both realized just how tiny the space was between them.

"I never noticed how small these tables are," Sam spoke in a low voice.

"Tell me about it."

Although she tried to sound casual, Alex's heart was thudding in her chest. It did double time as he leaned closer…

"Excuse me, sir, madam, the food has arrived."

Alex wanted to strangle the waiter.

They were standing in front of the door of her apartment.

'Now what?' Alex wondered.

"Well, um, I had a really nice time," she tried.

He gave her a quick smile. "Me too."

"Well…" She stalled for time, but finally couldn't think of anything else even half-intelligent to say. "Bye."

She turned to go into her apartment.

"Alex, wait."

She turned back, and his lips met hers. The kiss didn't last long, but it left Alex breathless all the same. She didn't know what else to say, so she settled for "Um, I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?" and walked into her apartment as though she were sleepwalking. She closed the door behind her and sank against it.

It was…nice, Alex thought later, musing. She sighed. Who was she kidding? It was more than nice. It was…hopelessly beyond any adjectives, she decided. No, she corrected herself, it was perfect. 'Ugh, Lex, stop it. Making yourself sick has truly got to be a skill,' she thought with disgust. 'Besides, you'll see him at work tomorrow, so don't get all excited.'

But she didn't see him the next day. Or the next. It was like he just disappeared. Or, as Alex told Max a few weeks later, like he never existed at all.

"Hey, don't sweat it, girl," Max replied absently.

"The boy was a flake," Original Cindy added. "Probably still out there lookin' for a sucker to play."

'Yeah, like me,' Alex thought miserably. Out loud she said, "Anyway, I'm gonna go. Catch some Z's and all. See ya."

Back at her apartment building, Alex took the elevator up to her floor. Fuming over this rip-off they called an economy (Five bucks for a soda? Come _on_!), she was almost down the hall before she realized who was waiting at her door. Narrowing her eyes, she walked up to him and shoved him, hard, against the wall. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she hissed.

He'd forgotten how strong she was. And she was obviously pissed off. With anyone else, that'd be a dangerous combination. Maybe it still was. "Alex, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" she repeated in disbelief. "Well, ain't that just daisies." She winced, hearing how stupid that sounded out loud, then shrugged it off. She had more important things to worry about at the moment.

"Please don't be mad."

"Mad?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. "Why the hell would I be mad? You just _left_, that's all!"

"Listen, I'm sorry! I can't explain why I had to leave!"

She looked at him, hands on her hips. "So why am I still here? Excuse me." She brushed past him and got her keys out of her pocket. As she did so, she noticed her hands were trembling. 'Oh, that's just no good,' she thought.

He noticed it too, and took her hand in his. She stayed silent, but didn't try to pull away. "Alex, I'm not going to lie to you. I can't stay."

"Why?" she asked, her voice a whisper, not looking at him.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, making her look at him. "Because I have to get my sister out of trouble."

"You have a sister?" At any other time, Alex would have found that almost sweet. But not now.

Sam nodded. "What kind of trouble is she in? No," she said as Sam started to speak, "I know what you're going to say. You can't tell me." He nodded. "Well, that's that, then. I'll see you around. Or maybe not," she added on second thought.

She opened the door, then turned to him. "Good-bye." She walked inside, then shut the door behind her, not looking back.

He started to knock on the door, then stopped. Even if she did open the door, what was he going to say? Better to leave and forget about her.

Alex turned back to face the closed door. She couldn't help feeling as though she had just made a huge mistake. She ran to the door and opened it, calling, "Sam, wait!"

But the hallway was empty.

   [1]: mailto:Owlthepsychica@aol.com



	2. Hook, Line, and Sinker

~*~

A few hours later, Alex's phone rang. She picked it up. "Yeah?"

"Alex? It's me, Max." She sounded urgent.

"Hey, Max. What's up?"

"You have medical training, right?"

"A little. Why?"

"Can you come down to Logan's crib?"

"Sure. Where is it?"

Max gave her the address.

"Okay. What kind of injuries are we looking at here?"

"Glass wounds."

"I don't want to know. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"All right, thanks. Bye."

"See ya."

Twenty minutes later, as promised, Alex was at Logan's apartment building. She was, however, having a little problem getting past security.

A massive giant in a blue uniform, who must have bench-pressed three hundred at least, planted himself solidly in front of her. "Can I help you, miss?"

"No, thanks though." She tried to get past him, but he moved in her way.

"Are you visiting?" he questioned.

"Yes," Alex answered through gritted teeth. Damned formalities.

"Who?" he wanted to know.

"Logan."

"Logan…?"

Dammit, Max didn't tell her his last name!

"Um, guy in a wheelchair?" she tried. She held her hand up to her waist. "About yea high?"

The guard frowned and walked over to some hi-tech-looking intercom thing.

"Mr. Cale?"

"Yes?" a male voice answered through the intercom's static.

"A young lady is here to see you."

Alex raised her eyebrows. That was the nicest description she'd heard all year.

"Send her up."

The door buzzed and Alex walked through. She pressed the up arrow button next to the elevator. The doors opened almost immediately, like they were waiting for her. She stepped inside and pressed "P." 'Always wanted to see a penthouse,' she thought as the doors closed and the elevator made its ascent to the top floor.

Max met her at the door. She nodded at the bag in Alex's hand. "What's that?"

"Hydrogen peroxide, cotton, bandages, and latex gloves, just in case."

"And where did you get that?" a male voice inquired. It was the same one she'd heard on the intercom, except maybe with a little less static. Logan Cale, a laptop on his knees, rolled into the hall, a frown creasing his brow.

Alex shrugged. "I have connections at a hospital. Where's the patient?"

"In there." Logan nodded to the room behind him.

Alex walked into the room, then stopped short. Her first thought was, 'Wow' (about the room). Her second thought was, 'It can't be…' (about the patient). It was Sam, bloody and in person. "Max…"

"I know, I know," her friend replied. "I'll explain everything after."

Alex sighed and shook her head. The things she did… Trying to stay professional, Alex did an assessment of his injuries.

"You said it was glass wounds."

"Yeah," Max assented.

"You don't get bruises from glass." Gently Alex touched the beginning of a black eye.

Max shook her head. "I don't know how he got those."

Alex looked closer at one of his abrasions, then looked at Max. "Max, what aren't you telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, I mean the fact that he's recovering at three times the rate of a normal human." Alex motioned for Max to come closer and pulled out a knife. Nicking the skin as little as possible, she drew the blade across the palm of his hand. "Now just watch."

A few minutes later, the skin was as smooth as it had been before, leaving no trace of the cut Alex had just made. Alex turned to Max, her arms folded. "Like I said, what aren't you telling me?"

Max sighed. "It's a long story."

Alex just gave her a look that said, 'That ain't gonna cut it.' "Max, listen. You said you'd explain everything about…why he was here, after I cleaned him up. And you know, I can respect that. But anything you know about him from a medical point of view, I need to know."

"Well, I can't tell you anything you didn't already figure out." Max shrugged. "He heals three times faster than the Normal Joe."

"Why?" Alex asked, pulling a pair of scissors out of her bag. Gently lifting his shirt, she cut it off carefully and stripped away the pieces.

"We were designed that way."

Alex stopped. "Come again?"

"We're genetically engineered, designed to be soldiers."

"Oh."

Max thought she took the news well, all things considered. With a steady hand, Alex poured some liquid, Max guessed that was the antiseptic, onto a wad of cotton. As she cleaned the numerous lacerations, she asked, "What happened?"

"He sorta fell through a window."

"Oh." Alex abandoned that attempt and tried something else. "Well, do you know if there's any glass in the wounds?"

Max shook her head. "Plexiglas."

"Well, thank God for small miracles," Alex remarked dryly. "So, um, tell me more about this genetically engineered thing."

"Well," Max began, "me and Zack," Alex assumed she meant the guy lying on the table in front of her, "are from Project Manticore. It was run by a guy named Donald Lydecker…"

For a moment, Alex could have sworn her heart stopped beating.

"Alex? Alex, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Keep going."

Alex tried to keep her face expressionless as Max told her exactly what Don Lydecker had done.

'So this is what dear old Dad was up to while I was gone. Abusing little kids, killing people…just like old times, huh?'

Zack came to when a hand touched his stomach where the glass had cut deepest, a wave of pain running through him. He gripped the wrist where it touched him, not letting go.

"Zack, if you don't let go, I will put a smackdown on your ass, I don't care how hurt you are," Alex snapped.

He opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, his eyelids fluttering before he forced them open. "Alex?…You called me Zack."

"Yeah, well, a few things have come to my attention since we last met," Alex replied dryly.

Zack turned to look at Max, who met his gaze evenly.

"What, exactly, did Max tell you?" he questioned.

"Oh, you know, the whole genetically-engineered soldier thing, guys coming after you with guns, that whole bit. Yeah, that's about it."

The cutting edge in her voice didn't escape Zack. "I told you, Alex, I had to leave."

"Had to my ass. Stay still before I hurt you on purpose. Now tell me what happened. Max said you kinda sorta went through a window. Care to explain? The window thing works for the cuts and all, but it doesn't tell me how you got a bruise the size of Mt. Kilimanjaro right there. " She lightly traced the reddish-purple bruise that was beginning to form around the right side of Zack's face, making him wince and close his eyes. "Like I said, care to explain?"

"A truck tried to run me over."

"That explains it."

"Zack," Max interjected. "You said they got Brin. What happened?"

He struggled to sit up, Alex supporting him on one side. When he spoke, his tone was cold. "She got careless, she got caught. End of story."

Alex almost dropped him when he said that.

Instead, she just looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head. "You cannot make me believe that you came all the way over here just to tell Max to forget about it. One, that's just stupid. Two, just…no."

"We are not going to breach OPSEC for some half-assed rescue attempt!"

"Oh yes we are," Alex returned just as Max retorted, "You're not my CO, Zack. You can worry about OPSEC for the both of us. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get her back."

"Oh yeah?" Zack asked, his tone both angry and condescending. "How are you going to do that, huh? She's probably already on her way back to Manticore right now!"

Logan, who had been watching this exchange silently, took this moment to intervene. "I don't think so." Apparently he already knew about the Manticore thing too.

"Who's this?" Zack asked, his voice steely. "Another friend?"

"Yes," Logan answered calmly, then continued, "Listen, in case you haven't figured out, this girl's going to do what she's going to do, no matter what you or anyone else says. So you have two choices: either back off or pitch in."

Alex was insulted that he only referred to Max when he said this, but she let it slide.

"I don't think Lydecker's just going to ship her on the next plane to Manticore," Logan continued, "so I checked to see if there was any unscheduled military transportation or unusual air traffic. I didn't find anything, so I think she's being held right here in Seattle."

"The question is," Alex said grimly, "where?"

"Well," Logan answered, even though the question was rhetorical, "I think Lydecker may have a Forward Base of Operations somewhere in Seattle, or nearby."

"Oh yeah? And where's that?" Zack asked irritably.

Logan looked at him. "Give me a minute."

A few hours and a lot of tempers later, Logan shook his head. "This guy's a first-rate spook. Whatever he's doing, he's covering his tracks up well."

"Why don't you try the Yellow Pages under 'Black Helicopter Operations'?" suggested Zack icily.

"Oh, great," Logan commented. "Another Manticore wit." As Max and Alex snickered, he continued, "Here are his D. O. D. records." He began to read what was on the screen. "Donald Michael Lydecker, born 1968, enlisted in the army right out of high school, married his hometown sweetheart."

"Oh, touching," Max commented.

_Mom_. Logan's voice faded into the background as Alex focused on the picture of her parents on the screen. Her mom had died a few years after Alex was born, so she had never really known her. Her father didn't like talking about it. Of course, it's not like they ever _had_ a chance to talk. He was always either drunk or away at the base or both.

She didn't have any memories of her mother and the few memories she had of her father were not pleasant. In them, he was always drunk and angry at the world. Sometimes, an image of a happy, smiling family passed through her mind, but she brushed it off as wishful thinking. She wondered how much had changed in the nine years since she had seen him. As soon as she was old enough, he had shipped her off to military school. Not boarding school, he had said. That would just make her weak and prissy.

Well, she reflected, the ability to flip any guy who tried to hit on her over her shoulder did come in handy every once in a while.

She snapped back to attention as Logan said, "Wife murdered, killer never found."

_Murdered?_

"Probably did it himself," Zack remarked callously.

_Probably_.

One thing she couldn't figure out. Obviously his records included personal shit, so why didn't they say anything about her? If you're going to talk about a guy's wife, you might as well include his kid too while you're at it.

Coming back to reality, she heard Logan say, "As in, 'Hello, my name's Don and I'm an alcoholic'?"

__

Alcoholics Anonymous? Did I miss something?

"Alcoholics Anonymous? Did I miss something?"

"Lydecker might go to those meetings. I mean, he was an alcoholic after all," Max pointed out.

"And our objective is what? All the black coffee we can drink?" Zack wanted to know.

"No. Get the man, and he'll lead us to our objective. Or did you sleep through Re-Con 101?" Max shot back.

"Ooh, touché," Alex commented. They both glared at her. "Sorry."

Max and Zack were at the AA meeting, waiting for Lydecker. They refused to let Alex come. Too dangerous, they said. So what if they had been trained to kick butt? So had she. Zack had even seen that, way back when. But still, the answer remained the same: no. Jeez, you kick a guy's butt who's three times bigger than you are and you still get no respect.

She rang up Logan. Thank God for 411. "Hello?"

Some guy who was definitely not Logan picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Helloo," Alex replied carefully. "Um, is Logan there?"

"Sure. Hold on."

"Thanks."

She waited until she heard Logan's voice say, "Hello?"

"Logan, it's Alex. Where's the AA meeting tonight?" Subtlety wasn't Alex's highest priority right now.

"Alex, it's too dangerous."

"_Where is it?_" she repeated. "In case you haven't figured it out, I don't have a whole lot of patience right now, so if you could just tell me where it is, I'd really appreciate it," she snapped. She felt bad about being such a bitch to Max's boy– friend, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

In the end, not only did he give her the address, but he gave her directions too. How thoughtful. "Thanks, Logan."

"Just be careful, okay? You're not a genetically-enhanced killing machine. Max and G. I. Joe are."

"I'll be careful. Promise."

As Lydecker opened his car door, something hit him upside the head, knocking him unconscious. Max shoved him into the car and got into the driver's seat. A motorcycle roared up and stopped in front of her. "Max!" Zack hissed. "What are you doing?"

"I have a plan. Follow me."

She slammed the door shut and started the ignition. When she put her foot on the gas and flew off, Zack started to do the same when someone ran up to him. It was Alex, huffing and wheezing. "Listen," she gasped. "I just ran all the way from my apartment over here, okay? So either you give me a ride, or I follow you anyway. Truth be told, I'd prefer the ride."

"Alex, what the hell are you doing here? I told you not to come!"

"Upset for my well-being? I'm touched."

Zack sighed. Today was just not his day with women. "Get on."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Alex told him as she got on. "Really. It's bad for your health."


	3. Hook, Line, and Sinker

They followed Max to an abandoned warehouse. Max raised an eyebrow when she saw Alex, but other than that, said nothing. Together, she and Zack dragged Lydecker out of the car. Zack held him up while Max patted him down in a routine weapons check. She pulled a Hi-Power Browning 9 mm semi-automatic from his coat pocket and tossed it to Zack, who caught it deftly with his free hand and slipped it into his waistband. Max shoved him into a chair and held him in place while Zack produced rope and duct tape from who-knows-where and began tying him to the chair. Max scowled at the unconscious man in the chair, her hands on her hips, as Zack secured his wrists together. It was all very efficiently done, making Alex wonder just what they had been taught over at Manticore.

Finally, when Zack gave the signal, Max threw a bucket of cold water over Lydecker's head. "This afternoon men in black NTVs kidnapped a girl on Waverly Avenue. Your men. We want to know where they took her." Her voice sounded…different. Commanding.

"You must have me confused with someone else—" First rule of interrogation: Deny everything.

Zack hit him. "Stop lying, Lydecker, or you're going to have a very long day."

"I'm just a business man—"

"Stop lying!"

Alex winced as he hit him again. Half of her wanted to tell Zack to stop it, but she resisted the urge. It wasn't that strong, anyway. Time for her father to learn to do unto others as he would have them do unto him.

"Where's Brin?" Zack demanded.

"Brin?" Lydecker repeated, sounding as if he'd just made an important discovery. That or won the jackpot. From the look that Max gave Zack, she knew what was wrong in what he had just said. But Alex didn't.

"You're one of mine," Lydecker said. It wasn't a question, it was a fact. There was a note of undeniable pride in his voice. More than he ever had for her. "X5. Only you would know the names you kids gave each other."

__

Oh, God._ So this is why he sounds so proud? Would he be proud of me if _I_ kidnapped him? Jesus Christ_.

"Where is she?" Max demanded.

"I don't have her."

Zack hit him. "Stop lying!" he shouted hoarsely.

Lydecker laughed. The sound made Alex cringe more than anything Zack's blows could have done. "Still so angry. You haven't changed much, have you, Zack?"

"Gee, wonder why," Alex muttered.

Lydecker turned to the sound of her voice. "And who might you be? Tinga? Jace?"

_Try your own daughter, asshole_.

"No, good guess though," Alex replied sardonically.

"We'll play Pin the Name on the Barcode later," Max snapped.

"Jondy? Max, maybe."

"Shut up," Max and Alex said in unison, although for different reasons. Max knew she was losing control of the situation; Alex, on the other hand, just really wanted Lydecker to shut up.

"That's right," Lydecker said thoughtfully, almost as if he were talking to himself. "You put your prisoner in a threatening environment, and then you use threats, and verbal abuse, to weaken him psychologically. Eventually, you employ nonverbal techniques, including torture."

"I said, shut up!" Max shouted again.

"Listen, you fucking asshole," Alex said calmly, carefully enunciating every word, "if you don't shut up," she took the gun from Zack and cocked it, aiming it at Lydecker, "we can make you. Got it?"

Lydecker was silent after that, for which Alex was thankful. She had enough on her mind without his psychological shit. She gave the gun back to Zack, who was looking at her with something Alex couldn't identify. Truthfully, she didn't even want to know what it was. Like she said, she had enough on her mind. She retreated back to her crate and sat down, never taking her eyes off Lydecker.

"Where is she?" Zack repeated, his stance tense.

"I told you, I don't have her," Lydecker repeated as well, sounding tired. Well, too bad for him. "Listen up." Alex raised her eyebrows. She didn't appreciate his tone. "I don't want to see Brin fall into enemy hands any more than you do."

"_You're_ the enemy," Zack told him roughly.

Alex had to agree with him on this one.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase?" Lydecker suggested. With a grunt, he snapped one of the ropes binding his wrists. Alex glanced at Zack to see his reaction. He had the expression of someone who was thinking, 'Damn, we need more rope.'

"One down, nine to go." Lydecker laughed again, the irony of the situation thick in his voice. "What do I have to do to have you accept that I'm telling the truth?" While his voice didn't sound quite desperate yet, Alex could tell it was getting there. "I don't have her."

Max demanded, "Then who does?"

"Any number of foreign governments would love to get their hands on Manticore technology."

"You're saying that someone kidnapped her to sell her to the highest bidder?" Max asked, sounding, for the first time, naïve and innocent.

"Is that so surprising?" Lydecker wanted to know. "Each one of you is worth millions."

"Why should we believe you?" Zack cut in.

"A weapons system like Brin doesn't come up for sale every day," Lydecker answered. "Let me contact my people. We can find out who's brokering the deal. Think about it."

Max and Zack walked away to, presumably, think about it. Before Alex had time to think rationally about what she was doing, she leaned close to Lydecker and whispered, "Gee, Dad, were you always this good a salesman or was it just a skill you acquired after Mom died?"

Lydecker looked at her and for a brief moment, Alex imagined that he could see through the blindfolds, could see into her soul.

__

And what would he find? Whatever I've become, he made me._ Although I'm not really sure he should take all the credit_.

Alex shook her head and moved back to her nice, safe crate. Just then, Max and Zack walked back to them. "Come with me," Zack said to Alex. It sounded a little too much like an order, but she let it go. She wasn't about to get into an argument in front of her – in front of Lydecker. Just let him think that everything was under control.

When they had walked out of earshot and Zack hadn't volunteered any information, Alex asked, "Where are we going?"

"To Logan's," Zack answered shortly. "Max says he has contacts with the military."

"Why did you…ask…me to come?"

"You shouldn't be here."

"Is that an answer or are you evading me?"

Zack shook his head. "This isn't your problem. You shouldn't get involved."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Alex tried to keep her voice light.

He stopped and looked at her, putting a hand on her arm. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"You should have thought of that before you left," Alex snapped. She stopped and shook her head. She didn't want to go there. "It's my problem now, too. You can't just expect me to walk away."

"I can. And I do," he told her.

"Well, tough," she retorted, pulling her arm away and continuing to walk. "You're not my mother, and while I appreciate the thought," ha, that's a lie, "I can take care of myself."

"Not with this," he said, catching up to her in long strides.

"Zack, get it through your head: I'm going whether you want me to or not." If he wanted to play tough, she could, too.

He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. Alex looked at the hand on her arm, then back at him. "You don't want to do that." Her eyes had turned to a dark obsidian green and blazed dangerously. He didn't want to see her pushed to her limit.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, huh?" His grip on her arm tightened, both hurting and angering Alex. "Oh, that's right, you can take care of yourself." His tone plainly said he thought otherwise.

Alex yanked her arm away. He let her. She started walking away, with him close behind. Then, without any warning, she spun around and faced Zack. She faked a low kick. When she saw him go to block it, she executed a sweeping kick and a swift upper cut simultaneously. The punch caught him in the jaw, but the sweep only made him stumble slightly.

He recovered his balance enough to aim a punch at Alex's midsection. She blocked it, using the same move she had used on the bodyguard the first day they met. When she twisted Zack's arm behind him, he used the force to flip her over his back.

She landed on her feet, the impact sending a shock of pain up through her legs. While Zack was still bent over, her knee met his ribs. He seized her leg and wrenched it from under her. As she went down, she grabbed his jacket, forcing him to either keep her from falling or fall himself. As they went down, she used the momentum to twist them around so she landed on top.

Alex started to get up, but Zack pulled her back down, their faces almost touching. She glared at him and got up, digging her knee into his ribs for emphasis.

"That's right, Zack; I can take care of myself."

She glanced out at the street, which was empty at this time of day, save for a few drunks, then back at Zack. Finally, she sighed and offered a hand to help him up. He stood up alone, dusting himself off. Obviously his macho male pride had been hurt. Alex shook her head and began walking again. She didn't need this on top of everything else.

"Alex."

She turned around, her hands on her hips. "_What_?"

"You're going in the wrong direction."


	4. Hook, Line, and Sinker

When they reached Logan's, Zack was back to his aloof soldier routine and Alex was all attitude. They entered silently, not so much as looking at each other. Logan glanced from one to the other: Zack with his level gaze, arms crossed; Alex looking anywhere except at Zack, unable to stand still. The tension was thick enough to choke on.

"Anyone want to tell me what happened?" Logan asked finally.

"No," they both answered.

Logan sighed. It was going to be a long day.

"Risky piece of business, grabbing Lydecker like that," Logan commented. Zack had, reluctantly, told him what happened, leaving out the part between him and Alex.

Zack shook his head and said with a wry smile, "That wasn't the objective. Max caught a bad case of mission creep."

"Oh, is _that_ what they're calling it?" Alex muttered. They both looked at her curiously; she hadn't said so much as a word the whole time. That is, besides "no."

She looked defiantly back at them, but didn't say anything else. The phone rang. Logan picked it up. "Yeah?" The caller identified himself. Or herself, as the case may be. "What do you have for me?" A pause while whoever was on the other end told him what he wanted to know. "You got this how?" Another pause. "Appreciate the help."

Logan hung up and turned back to them. "Okay, the Chinese military has been trying to procure biosynthetic technology." He turned back to his laptop as he continued to talk. "Word is, the order's been filled. A deal is in the works. The operation's being run by a Major Jake Sanders, works at Fort Xavier, an abandoned base just outside of town. The guy's gone rogue, runs his outfit like his own private fiefdom."

"Where is this place, exactly?" Zack wanted to know.

"Thirteen and a half miles northwest of here," Logan answered, taking something off the printer and handing it to Zack. Alex, curious but not wanting to admit it, glanced at it.

It was a layout of the base. Zack didn't bother to say "thanks" (common courtesy, what a waste of time), just nodded and rolled it up.

Logan hesitated, then asked, "You'll look after Max, won't you?"

Alex looked at him, and almost smiled. He was obviously worried about Max, even knowing that she was a genetically-enhanced soldier. It was so sweet. Alex caught herself thinking that, maybe, she'd like to have someone care about her like that.

__

No. Not now. This is not the time or the place.

"It's not something anyone has to ask me to do. It's my responsibility, looking after all of them. If I had done my job, Brin wouldn't be in this jam." He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with where things were going. Alex, surprised, glanced at Zack. He sounded like he was dangerously bordering on the edge of sentimentality. Mustn't have that. Man, talk about a guy who has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But then things took an ugly turn. "You know, you're worried about Max's safety, but the biggest threat to her safety is you. She should have gotten the hell out of Seattle a long time ago, but she stayed because of you. She ignored her training and let her judgement be clouded by feelings and emotions. And one day, they're going to get her killed."

Alex stared at him. What he just said stunned, and _infuriated_ her, so badly that she couldn't speak. When she finally found her voice, she said, "You know, Zack, a simple 'thank you' would have been fine." They both looked at her again, but she couldn't tell what they were thinking. "Stop looking at me like that! I'm pissed off because they're not letting me come and I'm pissed because Zack's being a jerk and…" She swallowed hard, forcing herself to calm down. "Let's just say I'm pissed about a lot of things right now."

"Wait, what do you mean, they're not letting you come?" Logan asked.

"I mean Max and G. I. Joe aren't letting me come because they think it's too dangerous!" Alex spat out. She saw Logan's mouth turn up slightly at the reference to their phone conversation earlier.

"It's not safe!" Zack interjected.

Alex glowered at him. "Was anyone talking to you? No, I didn't think so."

Zack ignored this and said, "You're not coming."

"The hell I'm not!"

"Maybe Zack's right," Logan spoke up.

Alex looked at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you're siding with him!"

"FYI, it's a secure installation," Logan informed her. "As in, lots of guys with guns. They're in for the money, and they'll kill for it."

"I can handle it!"

"Why are you so determined to go?" Zack asked roughly.

"I…you need all the help you can get—"

"This is what we do. We're soldiers. Stay here." Seeing she was about to argue, he muttered a word Alex hadn't even known was in his vocabulary, a word that obviously hurt to say. "Please."

"Fine."

He looked at her, like he couldn't believe it was that easy. "What?"

"I said, fine. Strange things happen when you ask nicely."

But, of course, she had no absolutely intention of staying put. All she needed was a quick glance at the layout of the base, which she had, and a photographic memory would do the rest. Well, that and a few extras back at her apartment.

After Zack left, Alex said cheerfully, "Well, gotta go. See ya!"

"Tell me you're not going to the base."

"I'm not going to the base," Alex repeated obediently.

"Are you saying that because it's true or because I told you to?"

She just smiled secretively and winked at him.

Logan groaned. Like Big Brother's condescension wasn't bad enough.

"Alex, don't go. It's too dangerous. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Au contraire, Monsieur Cale. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into."

~~~

Alex sat on her bed and just _thought_.

__

If I were Dad, and I were going to an unfamiliar base, along with two kids I had been trying to capture for ten years, what would I do? Oh, not to mention there's another X5 already there that they're trying to sell off. How would I use that to my advantage?

Then she had it. She knew what he was going to do.

"Shit."

She started searching through her closet frantically. "I know it's in here somewhere…"

~~~

Zack and Max were led to the brig, barefoot, their wrists bound, surrounded on all sides by guards with guns. They were shoved into separate cells, which were locked behind them.

"Good timing, you showing up with these two now," Sanders remarked as the locks snapped into place.

"How do you mean?" Lydecker questioned.

"Well, maybe you should see for yourself." Sanders gestured to the corner of the room behind the cells. Lydecker turned to look, putting on his glasses and squinting. Max and Zack turned to look as well.

Lying on the cot was Brin. Her once glossy, jet black hair had turned gray; her dark, lively eyes had turned a dull blue. Curled up in a fetal position, she was hooked up to an IV. As if that would help.

"Brin?" Max said softly. The girl's eyes fluttered. "Brin, it's me, Max."

"Max?" a weak voice asked. "Is it really you?"

"We're here, baby sister," Zack said, sounding almost…affectionate.

"Zack. You came for me." The utter relief and joy in her voice was heartbreaking to hear.

Max turned to Lydecker, gripping the bars so hard her knuckles turned white. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's a form of progeria, similar to Warner's Syndrome," Lydecker answered. "It's a spontaneous, rapid mutation of the genomes, expresses in the form of highly accelerated aging. Three of the X5 group developed it. She's the fourth…as far as we know." He looked meaningfully at Max, but she was still looking at Brin. He turned to Sanders. "We're going to need to ice her down, bring down her core temperature, slow down her metabolic rate."

"She gonna last long enough for me to lay her off to my clients?" Sanders wanted to know. It was a shame, really, that SOB getting his hands on one of the X5.

"Two or three days, maybe."

"All I really need is to have her breathing when the taillights disappear in the morning. But, Deck, they're not going to want to pay much for damaged goods." Goods? She was a sophisticated weapons system, not a piece of furniture.

"Dead or alive, her genetic code is worth millions. Besides, we have the other two to sell. They're the top of the X5 group."

Then Max spoke. "You know, Don, I always wondered what led you to hunt us down all these years. Thought maybe you were afraid for your dumb-ass Fed job, or some whack sense of patriotism, or professional pride because you felt like such a chump for losing us in the first place." She made no attempt to disguise her obvious contempt for him in her voice. "But now I know. You're just a bottom-feeding pimp, peddling flesh for the benjamins."

"It's a little more complicated than that." He turned to Sanders. "Permission to address your men."

They had a long night ahead of them.

~~~

A young woman attired in the standard camouflage uniform and driving a black Humvee stopped at the checkpoint. She held her ID out for the uniform on duty to see. "Lieutenant Alexia Lydecker," she said, smiling winningly at the corporal. See, even she could be charming when she wanted to.

"Any relation to Colonel Lydecker?" the young corporal inquired.

__

Unfortunately.

"Yes," Alex answered, struggling to keep the smile plastered on her face. "I'm his daughter."

"Well, he's a lucky man," the corporal said, smiling at her.

Alex forced herself to smile even wider and pretended to blush. Ugh, God, she couldn't keep this up for much longer.

"Um, do you know where he is?" she asked sweetly.

"I believe he and the major are in the brig." He leaned out the window to point, but he was ogling her. Alex wondered exactly which part of her he was checking out. Then she decided that she didn't really want to know. "Keep going straight, then take a left."

"All right, thanks." She waited patiently for him to raise the barrier, her fixed smile as bright and empty as a lightbulb. As soon as he was out of sight, the smile disappeared, replaced by a grimace.

__

Man, smile too long and your face could get stuck like that.

She shook her head and drove the truck she had hotwired down to where the corporal had directed her. Outside, it was silent, although she could hear voices inside. She turned the ignition off and opened the door. The hinges well-oiled, the door swung open smoothly and without a sound. She jumped out, moving like a cat, graceful and silent.

She crept to the window, but didn't dare to look in. She could hear her father's voice clearly. "All right, listen up. Under no circumstance is anyone to interact with the prisoners. Handling them requires special training. Which you don't have. Do not open their cell. And under no circumstances allow yourself within arm's length of them. Understood?"

Then another man's voice. "Same old Deck."

__

That must_ be the major. Only egotistical guys with too much power could sound that arrogant in three words._

Then her father's voice again. "Next time we do this, we're going to have to have more men."

A door shut, then Zack's voice. "Told you he'd double-cross us."

"Never fails to disappoint, does he?" And Max.

Alex was already slipping around the side towards the entryway.

She was just in time to see the figures of her father and a man, apparently Major Sanders, retreating. She waited about ten minutes to make sure they weren't coming back anytime soon. When no one appeared, she stood up straight and stepped out of the shadows. Her nerves were humming, the way they did right before a fight.

__

Chin up, shoulders back. You're a soldier, goddamnit, not Cinderella on her way to the ball! Intimidation is half the battle.

Alex grinned to herself. For a moment there, she had sounded just like her instructor. Ah, the good old days.

__

Well, it's now or never.

She took a deep breath and strode towards the entrance.

~~~

Someone rapped on the door. Zack looked up at the sound; neither Sanders nor Lydecker would bother knocking.

One of the soldiers opened the door, pointing a gun at the visitor, who was just out of Zack's line of view.

"Stand down, soldier!" a female voice commanded.

__

It couldn't be…Alex wouldn't…

But Zack knew that she would.

The soldier hesitated, but didn't lower his gun.

"I said, stand down!"

Still the gun stayed raised.

"Do you know who I am?" The soldier didn't reply. "I'm Lieutenant Alexia Lydecker."

__

She's just saying that to get past them…

"That means two things. One, I outrank you, Private. Two, that means Colonel Lydecker is my father. That means he's friends with your boss. So _stand down!_"

Slowly, reluctantly, the soldier lowered the gun and Alex stepped into view. She was wearing a camouflage uniform like the other soldiers. The three stripes identified her as a lieutenant.

"Where's your ID?" he demanded.

Alex's eyes darkened and flashed, like the sky on a stormy night. "I don't like your tone, soldier." But she got out her ID and handed it to him. The soldier looked it over for a minute, then handed it back to her and saluted.

That was when it really began to sink in.

__

Alexia Lydecker…

~~~

"The deal's off. Release the prisoners."

Contrary to how she felt, her voice was firm and commanding. She held her breath. Now was the moment when it was decided whether things would go according to plan or whether you were screwed.

Another of the soldiers beside ID Boy frowned. Alex saw his hand tighten on his gun. Shit. "What are you talking about?"

"The PRC tried to screw the major over."

His eyes narrowed and his grip got a little tighter. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" she shot back. "Do _you_ want to question Major Sanders?"

His hold loosened.

__

Point taken, I guess.

She nodded toward the cells. "Release them."

The soldier shook his head. "We're under orders not to open the cell."

Alex smiled wryly. "Let me guess. My father gave you those orders."

The soldier nodded.

"Well, look at it this way…" she paused and examined the emblem on his uniform, "Corporal Davis. If anything goes wrong, blame me." Seeing him hesitate, she added, "Don't make me go into that whole thing about how I outrank you and shit. I really don't feel like giving that lecture again."

Alex could almost see him considering. If she was lying and they let them go, they would be in deep shit. If she was telling the truth and they didn't let them go, they would still be in deep shit. The major's temper was known to be erratic. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. Besides, if she was Lydecker's daughter, and she had the ID to prove it, they could just turn around and blame it on him. And she _did_ outrank them.

"All right," he said finally. He nodded to the others. "Open the cells." One of the soldiers started to protest. "I said, open them!"

Alex held her hand up. "I'll handle this." She walked up to the soldier in question. Then, without warning, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed on the floor with a thump. She dusted her hands off and looked around. "Any more objections?" She looked at Corporal Davis and shrugged apologetically. "Less than professional, but it works."

He was looking at her with something akin to lust in his eyes. "Hey, if you're not busy tomorrow night…"

Alex was having a hard time masking her feelings, which were bordering somewhere between incredulity and disgust.

__

No way. Don't tell me there really are guys who go for women in power. Or if there are, great, but why does this guy have to be one of them? Why_?_

She managed a feeble smile and answered, "Sorry, my dad frowns on dating other officers."

She walked up to Zack as one of the soldiers unlocked his cell.

"You gonna play nice?"

He stared at her, his face unreadable. Finally, he answered, "We'll see."

She shrugged. "Close enough." She turned to Max. "And you?"

"Oh, I'll be a good girl. Promise."

"Good. Because if you don't," she pulled out a Taser from her holster, "you get the treatment. Got it?"

"Got it," Max muttered as she stepped out of her cell. 

Alex glanced at the girl on the cot. "What about you? Can you walk?"

The girl nodded weakly.

"My ass." She looked at Max. "Help her."

When everyone was ready, she nodded to Zack. "Move it." He glared at her, but obeyed. Alex couldn't tell if his anger was real or if he was pretending. She hoped he was pretending.

As soon as they were outside, Alex turned to them. "Well, this is the end of the line." She tried to smile, but her heart was beating too rapidly.

"We'll take Don's ride," Max said brusquely, helping the sick girl, Brin, into the backseat. As she walked around to the front, she asked, "So, where'd you get the Taser from?"  
Alex shrugged. "It came with the truck."

Max nodded and climbed into the NTV, allowing her and Zack some privacy.

Alex faced him, scared of what was coming next but determined not to run away. Zack looked at her, anger showing in his eyes. So he hadn't been pretending. "What the hell were you doing? You compromised—"

"Zack. Shut up." She smiled unhappily and kissed him. She tried to express all her feelings, all her emotions, into that kiss. She just hoped he understood. She wasn't looking forward to what she had to do.

She broke away and looked down, unable to meet his intense gaze, ashamed of who and what she was.

"Alex Lydecker." He shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

__

Not 'us'. 'Me'.

She looked up. The anger had drained away from his face, leaving only frustration and regret. "I couldn't tell you. You hate Lydecker. How was I supposed to tell you he was my _father_?" Her voice broke on the word. "Would you still have trusted me then?"

He didn't answer.

"Just leave, Zack."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Alex smiled, and it was bitter. "Zack, haven't you learned? I can take care of myself."

~~~

The brig was empty. All the soldiers had left. Major Sanders was missing, dead most likely. Alex turned around when she heard someone enter.

"Hello, Dad."

"You didn't do as well as I'd hoped."

"I know."

__

I love you, Zack.

~*~

The Beginning


End file.
